Editorial: El País

• The Government is preparing a decree to give every child under 16 an aid of 100 euros for glasses or contact lenses, marking the first introduction of such a scheme.
• The primary objective is to ensure that no child or teenager is deprived of good vision for economic reasons.
• A 2024 study reveals about 721,000 minors in Spain could not access glasses due to financial difficulties.
• Vision problems significantly contribute to school dropouts.
• The Ministry of Health plans the aid to be effective from the next course and has 48 million euros allocated for this purpose.
• Visual problems, especially myopia, are set to increase with an estimated 30.2% of children being myopic in 2030 compared to the current 19%.

Conclusion: The decree is a necessary response to a clear and growing public health issue, aiming at establishing social equity and opportunities for all children.

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